Drip-pan signal.



B. WEISS.

DRIP PAN SIGNAL.

APPLICATIDN FILED 1AN.5. $915.

1,163,491 Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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BENJAMIN WEISS, kOFANE YORK, N. Y.,IASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO VGLF L. WEISS.

DRIP-PAN SIGNAL.

Application filed January 5, 1915.

0 all 'zc/wm t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, BENJAMIN Wmss, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drip-Pan Signals, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe general objects of this invention are to provide a means for signaling when the water in a drip-pan usually placed under a refrigerator, has reached predetermined heights and to facilitate the removal of the drip-pan when` necessary to empty the same. And to these ends the invention consists of a drip-pan comprising a casing, a receptacle yieldingly supported bythe casing, an alarm an a means controllable by the weight of water in the receptacle for effecting the operation of the alarm.

@ther objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in which Figure l is a front elevational view of the lower portion of a refrigerator showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my invention. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view thereof. Fig. ff is a detail perspective view of the receptacle. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a por*- tion of the casing and slide and showing the signal and means for effecting the operation of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the slide for supporting the signal, and Fig. 7 is a view showing a modified form of means for supporting the drip-pan.

Referring to the drawings in detail 1 designates a refrigerator, on the bottom of which is secured a pair of guide strips 2 for slidably supporting beneath the refrigerator the drip-pin 3.

The drip-pan may be formed of any suitable material and comprises a rectangular shaped casing 4: having a bottom 5 and sides 6 on the upper outer ends of which are mounted strips 7 for engaging with the guide strips 2 for slidably connecting the drip-pan to the refrigerator. Detachably mounted within the casing and resting on the bottom 5 is a yielding support 8 which is formed of a pair of plates 9 and 10 which are yieldingly held in spaced relation to each other by means of a plurality of coil springs 11.

Specification of Letters Patent.

y Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Serial No. 624.

This support is also rectangular in shape so as to snugly tit within the bottom of the casing and is provided for the purpose of yieldingly supporting a receptacle 12 for receiving the drippings of water from the re frigerator. The receptacle 12 is preferably formed of metal such as galvanized iron into the shape of a hollow rectangular body, the top wall 13 which slopes downwardly so as to direct the drippings of water from the refrigerator into a receptacle through a small perforationle formed approximately in central portion of the top. To empty the receptacle of water a small perforation 15 is also provided in the top and this perfora tion is in communication, by means' of a tube 16, with a perforation 17 located at one end of a small pan 18 mounted on the top 13 at one end thereof and which forms a spout from which the water may be poured. By this arrangement it is obvious that when the receptacle is being emptied the water will be prevented from flowing over the top of thereceptacle and may be directed into a bucket or other suitable receptacle. To facilitate the removal and replacing of thereceptacle 12 in the casing a pair of handles 19 are provided on the top of the receptacle at each side thereof.

Rigidly secured to the under side of the bottom 5 of the casing is a pair of guide strips 20 which are provided for slidably supporting a slide 21. The slide is arranged to move longitudinally on the casing at approximately the central portion thereof and is provided to support an alarm 22 here shown in the form of a bell of the well known spring actuated type. To facilitate the operation of winding the spring of the bell, when the same has run down, it will be noted that the slide is formed of two sections 23 and 24 which are hingedly connected by means of a hinge 25. Now, when the spring is to be wound it is necessary only to withdraw the slide, by means of its handle 26, for a portion of its length, until the hinge permits the section 28, to which the bell is attached, to be swung upwardly in front of the casing t, to a position where the key for winding the spring may be conveniently operated, see Fig. 6.

The means employed for effecting the operation of the alarm where the water in the receptacle has reached predetermined heights lOO is here shown in the form of a depending 313-@ water.

rod 27. This rod is provided with an enlarged base portion 28 which by any suitable means such as by rivets 29 is secured to the under side of the plate 9 of the yielding support 8. The rod is mounted approximately at the central portion of the plate and is provided with a plurality of projections 30 which engage with the end of the bell operating'trip 3l arranged in the path of progressive movement of the projections. The projections 30 here shown, as only two in number, are provided for eiecting the operation oi' the trip 31 for giving an alarm when the receptacle has become iirst half filled and then subsequently illed with In moving downwardly under the pressure of the weight of water in the receptacle the trip is first yengaged and escapes by the lowermost projection 30. This actuation otl the trip effects Vthe ringing of the bell which continues l'or a short interval of time, thus giving an alarm which signifies thatV the receptacle is half full of water. Nowrupon the further downward movement of the receptacle the second projection 30 engages with the trip,'thus again effecting the ringing of the bell which signies that the receptacle is full of water and is in condition to be emptied.

Communicating openings 27 are provided in both the plate 10 and the bottom of thel casing so as to permit the free operation of the rod 27 when the device is in use.

W'hen it 1s desired to empty the water iny Copies of this patent may be obtained for.

the receptacle it is obvious that it is necessary only to remove the drip-pan by grasping a handle 32, secured on thek front ofthe casing, and pull the 4drip-pan outwardly from beneath the refrigerator. Y Instead ofwbeing slidably connected to the refrigerator the drip-pan may if desired be provided with rollers 33 so that'the ioor may be used as a suitable support as shown in Fig. 7.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arf rangements of parts withoutl departing from the spirit of my invention 'and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claim.

What I claim as newflszv A drip-pan comprising a cas1ng,-a receptacle, a slide carried bythe casing-said slide' comprising a pair of sections hingedly con nected together, an alarm mounted on one' of the sections, and a means controllable by the weight offwater in the receptacle fory eecting the operation of the alarm, said slide adapted to be withdrawn from the casing for a portioriof its length so that the alarm carrying section may be drawn upwardly against the casing for the purpose set forthf In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses. n

. BENJAMIN 1WEISS.

' Witnesses: v Y

ANNA V. DOYLE, Guo. A. Brunn.

ve cents each, by addressing 'the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. i v 

